Making Pregnancy & Childbirth Safer in Uganda & Zambia ... · 02 GLOBAL PARTNERS 04 ROAD TO SAFE...

Annual Report 2013

making pregnancy & cHiLDBirTH safer in UganDa & ZamBia

2 A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 3 S A V I N G M O T H E R S , G I V I N G L I F E

02 GLOBAL PARTNERS

04 ROAD TO SAFE PREGNANCY AND CHILDBIRTH

06 UGANDA RESULTS

16 TIMELINE OF KEY ACTIVITIES

18 ZAMBIA RESULTS

24 SAVING MOTHERS, GIVING LIFE LOOKS AHEAD

The death of a woman from complications during pregnancy or childbirth continues to be a serious global health challenge and a sentinel indicator of how well a health system is functioning. Saving Mothers, Giving Life is an ambitious five-year public-private partnership to rapidly reduce maternal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa, where many of these deaths occur. As this report indicates, an intensive effort to strengthen health services in countries facing high levels of maternal mortality and HIV can produce impressive — and rapid — results in saving women’s lives.

Beginning in four districts each in Uganda and Zambia, Saving Mothers successfully built upon existing maternal and child health programs, as well as HIV programs supported by PEPFAR, and integrated these services during its 12-month proof-of-concept phase. In close alignment with both governments’ national health plans, Saving Mothers has put in place life-saving interventions that are making high quality, safe childbirth services available and accessible to women and their newborns.

This report highlights the findings of evaluations conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), USAID and Columbia University after Saving Mothers’ first year.

PROGRAMMATIC APPROACH

Saving Mothers addresses the three delays that prevent women from accessing maternal health services: delay in seeking services, delay in reaching services and delay in receiving quality care. These interventions are focused primarily on the critical period of labor, delivery and the first 48 hours postpartum, when most maternal deaths and approximately half of newborn deaths occur.

In close collaboration with the Ugandan and Zambian governments, Saving Mothers supported a wide range of evidence-based interventions in the community and in health centers and district hospitals, including:

+ Equipping facilities to provide high quality emergency obstetric and newborn care (EmONC) in a geographically strategic way, enabling women with complications to receive care within two hours.

+ Improving supply systems so facilities have the equipment, supplies, commodities and drugs needed to deliver high quality EmONC services.

+ Training and mentoring skilled birth attendants to provide quality, respectful delivery services, and stabilize, treat and refer emergency cases if necessary.

+ Mobilizing the community to generate demand for facility deliveries, antenatal and postpartum care while emphasizing birth planning, and encouraging HIV testing and treatment and uptake of family planning services.

+ Strengthening linkages between communities and facilities through a 24/7 integrated communications and transportation system that helps pregnant women access childbirth facilities in a timely manner.

+ Improving data collection systems to record pregnancy outcomes, including complications and maternal deaths, and strengthen host country health management information systems.

Saving Mothers evaluated these interventions to inform programmatic scale-up and expansion. Through health facility assessments and tracking pregnancy outcomes, the CDC identified noteworthy first-year results and challenges. An external evaluation by Columbia University assessed the partnership’s functioning and identified best practices and barriers to reducing maternal mortality. Finally, USAID examined the cost of interventions. These monitoring and evaluation findings demonstrate the initiative’s first-year achievements, and help guide its future activities.

S A V I N G M O T H E R S , G I V I N G L I F E A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 3 1

“Complications of pregnancy and childbirth and HIV are the leading causes of death among women of reproductive age. Accelerating progress on saving women’s lives from these preventable causes will help achieve Millennium

Development Goals 4 and 5 and an AIDS-free generation. Greater integration of maternal health and HIV/AIDS treatment has significantly increased the number of women and newborns receiving life-saving antiretroviral therapy. With its focus on health system strengthening, which builds on existing PEPFAR service delivery platforms in Uganda and Zambia, Saving Mothers, Giving Life has helped to increase the number of pregnant women tested for HIV and receiving antiretroviral therapy to maintain their own health and prevent onward transmission of HIV to their babies. Further expanding acess to HIV testing and treatment is essential to achieve our goal of cutting AIDS-related maternal deaths in half by 2015.

— Ambassador Eric Goosby, Former U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator

“The Peace Corps is excited to be a partner of Saving Mothers, Giving Life. We are particularly proud of the contributions Peace Corps Volunteers have made at the community level to promote the importance of essential maternal health

services, and we are thrilled to continue our collaboration to aggressively reduce maternal mortality.”

— Carrie Hessler-Radelet, Acting Director, Peace Corps

“Over the past twenty years, human ingenuity and entrepreneurship around the world have reduced maternal mortality substantially, but gaps between the developed and developing world persist. The underlying problems are

solvable. When more women have access to high quality care, we can save lives. When we expand the availability of life-saving medicines and equipment in rural areas, we can save lives. When we ensure that more women deliver in the presence of a skilled health worker, we can greatly reduce their risk of dying when complications arise. This is why Secretary Hillary Clinton helped launch Saving Mothers, Giving Life. In its first year, this pioneering, district-level health initiative has improved the lives of women in Uganda and Zambia, helping women receive quality maternal healthcare and fostering new confidence and hope.”

— Dr. Rajiv Shah, USAID Administrator

“Saving Mothers, Giving Life has substantially improved maternal health by making care better and more accessible in Uganda and Zambia. In all of the districts where we have been working with the partnership, facility deliveries have

increased substantially and community linkages to clinical services have been strengthened. More health centers are providing life-saving emergency obstetric and newborn care. There are more qualified and supported healthcare workers, and improved coordination of maternal health and HIV prevention, care and treatment services. We are honored to share in the impact that Saving Mothers, Giving

Life has had on the lives of women and newborns in Uganda and Zambia so far.”

— Dr. Thomas Frieden, Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

fOreWarD U.S. GOVERNMENT LEADERSHIP

In Uganda and Zambia, Saving Mothers, Giving Life districts have reported

a significant decrease in the number of maternal deaths in just one year.


GOVERNMENT OF NORwAY

“ The birth day is the most dangerous day in a woman’s and child’s life. Saving Mothers, Giving Life is proof of the strength of public-private partnerships, and the benefits of working closely with partner country governments. The UN Commission on Life-Saving Commodities recommends essential maternal health drugs, like magnesium sulfate, oxytocin and misoprostol, necessary to address emergencies arising from complications of labor and delivery. Saving Mothers facilities are equipped with a regular supply of these drugs; as a result more women are receiving life-saving treatment when complications arise.”

– Tore Godal, Special Adviser to the Office of the

Prime Minister of Norway

gLOBaL PARTNERS

USAID leads Saving Mothers for the U.S. Government in partnership with CDC, PEPFAR, the Department of State, the Department of Defense and the Peace Corps. Leads monitoring and evaluation activities.

U.S. GOVERNMENT

“ The results in this report are evidence that smart, focused investments can help reduce maternal mortality. Saving Mothers, Giving Life is creating an environment in which safe labor and delivery, in well-stocked facilities with trained professionals is the new standard of care in Uganda and Zambia. We’ve built a catalyzing model that, when taken to scale, can help ensure that unforeseen complications don’t end in tragedy. And we’ve done so by capitalizing on decades of American investments, leveraging existing U.S. Government PEPFAR and Maternal and Child Health platforms, with a legacy of saving and improving millions of lives in sub-Saharan Africa.”

– Robert Clay, Deputy Assistant Administrator, USAID

Supports programs to strengthen local private health providers in Uganda and programs to develop entrepreneurial models for maternity waiting homes in Zambia. Supports an external evaluation of the partnership, led by Columbia University.

MERCK FOR MOTHERS

“ Saving Mothers, Giving Life is part of a new approach to development, one in which governments, the private sector and non-profits are moving in lockstep to solve huge challenges. Ending preventable deaths during pregnancy and childbirth is not a simple task. Merck for Mothers lends the company’s business and scientific expertise to enhance innovations that can save a woman’s life. In Uganda, for example, we augment Saving Mothers by supporting private health clinics, doctors, midwives and local businesses, which are often women’s first choice for maternal care. We are inspired by the initiative’s impact to date, but we know our work is far from complete. We remain steadfast in our commitment to this partnership to make safe pregnancy and childbirth a reality for all women.”

– Naveen Rao, MD, Lead, Merck for Mothers

Supports efforts to enhance access to low-price maternal health commodities. Plays a leading role in strategy development, as well as funding and program implementation and scale-up during Phase Two.


EVERY MOTHER COUNTS

“ Saving Mothers, Giving Life supports interventions across the continuum of maternal care, addressing the three delays that women face in achieving timely and effective maternal health services. In Uganda, Every Mother Counts is supporting strategies to enhance access to care by strengthening transportation and referral networks between communities and facilities. After one year, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of women delivering safely with a skilled provider. We are proud to showcase the results in this report, and demonstrate that this partnership and its approach are working.”

– Christy Turlington Burns, Founder, Every Mother Counts

Supports efforts to strengthen emergency transportation and referral systems in Uganda. Raises public awareness and donations in support of Saving Mothers, Giving Life. Advocates for increased support for maternal mortality reduction globally.

Provides scientific, technical and clinical expertise to Saving Mothers, Giving Life. Provides emergency obstetric training and mentorship for health providers across Saving Mothers districts.

AMERICAN COLLEGE OF OBSTETRICIANS AND GYNECOLOGISTS

“ Saving Mothers, Giving Life is an opportunity to bring our technical expertise to bear in Uganda and Zambia, where we are prepared to provide mentoring, coaching and ongoing supportive supervision. We are currently working with in-country ob-gyns and others to determine how best to meet their needs for delivering essential maternal health services, including emergency obstetric and newborn care. And as a result, more women who experience complications will receive the care they need.”

– Bert Peterson, MD, FACOG, ACOG Global Health Consultant

and Chair of the ACOG Global Operations Advisory Group

Leads efforts to upgrade Saving Mothers, Giving Life facility infrastructure. Provides customized medical supplies, equipment and related program services to Saving Mothers facilities.

PROjECT C.U.R.E.

“ One of the key advantages of this partnership is the ability of each partner to contribute its unique expertise. Working closely with our partners, we can ensure that customized medical supplies and medical equipment from Project C.U.R.E. are delivered to medical facilities with upgraded infrastructure, and are being used by trained health staff providing essential maternal health services. None of these interventions alone can save a woman’s life. But, as you will see in this report, jointly deploying these interventions can achieve greater impact.”

– Doug Jackson, President and CEO, Project C.U.R.E.


Saving Mothers has improved connections between public and private service delivery points district-wide, easing women’s ability to access high quality maternal care.

+ Improved facility infrastructure, including the availability of water, electricity and renovated maternity waiting homes has increased access to services

+ Transportation and communications networks between communities and facilities have been strengthened, including emergency referrals

+ Enhanced supply chain management helps to ensure more consistent access to life-saving medications and commodities

Saving Mothers has increased the number of women giving birth in health facilities.

+ Thousands of community health workers were trained to educate women, their families and community leaders about the importance of facility delivery managed by a skilled birth attendant

+ Birth kits were distributed to women to incentivize safe and clean facility-based childbirth

+ Community health workers collected data on pregnancy outcomes, including recording maternal deaths

cOmmUniTy mOBiLiZaTiOn TO increase DemanD imprOving access & avaiLaBiLiTy Of services

rOaD TO safe pregnancy anD cHiLDBirTH IN SMGL DISTRICTS

Delay in seeking

Care

Delay in ReACHing

Care


Saving Mothers has augmented facility staffing and training, ensuring that women receive quality facility-based care within two hours of the onset of obstetric emergencies.

+ More than 500 healthcare providers in the intervention districts received EmONC training

+ Providing a minimum package of quality obstetric services in lower level facilities helped decongest higher level facilities

+ Referral facilities were upgraded to provide Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC) for complicated cases requiring Cesarean section or blood transfusion

QUaLiTy Of care

Delay in ReCeiVing

Care

HeaLTH sysTem sTrengTHening

About 15 percent of pregnancies and childbirths will

develop complications that are potentially life-threatening

and require timely access to EmONC. Improved access

to, referral to and quality of 24-hour emergency obstetric

services can increase the proportion of women who give

birth safely, and drastically and quickly reduce the risk

of women dying from pregnancy-related complications.

Moreover, as HIV is becoming an increasingly common

cause of pregnancy-associated deaths in Africa, Saving

Mothers is focused on effectively leveraging HIV and

maternal and child health platforms for increased impact.

The first year of the initiative resulted in substantial

reductions in maternal deaths and improved maternal and

perinatal health outcomes. There was also an increase in

access to, and utilization of, HIV prevention, treatment and

care services for mothers and their newborns.

Monitoring & Evaluation+

Human Resources for Health+

Helping Babies Breathe+

Blood Transfusion+

Awareness, Advocacy & Mobilization+

Data & Information Systems+

Laboratory Systems+

PMTCT+

Equipment+

Medical Records+

Postnatal Care+

Supply Chain+

Record Keeping


+ Saving Mothers addressed the shortage of health workers by hiring doctors and midwives to accelerate access to services. Uganda’s Ministry of Health incorporated many of these newly hired health staff as regular personnel with the adoption of a wage bill that improved salary and living conditions. This, combined with significant health facility investments, including renovating 11 facilities with operating theaters to perform Cesarean sections, delivered notable quality of care improvements.

+ Use of Village Health Teams (VHTs) to strengthen the collection of household level data has been very successful, and fundamental to the initiative’s ability to measure and evaluate the impact of its interventions.

+ Recognizing that many women receive care from private health providers, Saving Mothers, through Merck for

Mothers has partnered with a network of local franchise clinics to help increase access to reproductive, maternal and newborn health services in several districts. The effort will help to strengthen the ability of private providers and health businesses to deliver care to families in a sustainable manner.

+ Improved access to services, through demand side financing (vouchers) that supported transportation for women to go to facilities and payment for services at private health facilities, has dramatically increased the number of women giving birth in facilities.

UGANDA NATIONAL LEVEL INDICATORS

Maternal Mortality Ratio (2010) (per 100,000 live births)1 310

Deliveries taking place in a health facility (2011)2 57%

Births by Cesarean section (2005–2010)1 3%

Births attended by skilled health personnel (2005–2011)1 42%

Antenatal care coverage: at least four visits (2005–2011)1 48%

Pregnant women with HIV receiving antiretrovirals to prevent MTCT (2010)1 42%

Total Fertility Rate (2011)2 6.2

Contraceptive prevalence rate: modern method (1990/2012)3 26%

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Sources: 1. World Health Statistics 2012 (WHO) | 2. Uganda Demographic and Health Survey 2011 (USAID) | 3. State of the World Population Report 2013 (UNFPA)

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

UganDa RESULTSMaternal mortality fell sharply over the course of 12 months in

Saving Mothers districts in Uganda. This reduction was driven,

in large part, by women’s increased access to and receipt

of EmONC. In the pilot phase, the proportion of expected

deliveries taking place at facilities in the Saving Mothers

districts increased from 46% to 74%.

kAbARole kibAAle kAmwenge kyenjojo


In Uganda’s four intervention districts,

pregnancies were tracked from the antenatal

period through labor, childbirth and postpartum.

Pregnancy outcomes, including complications

and maternal deaths, were recorded at the facility

level and community level. The indicators

on the following pages demonstrate rapid

improvements in women’s health outcomes after

one year of implementation.

THere are an esTimaTeD 1.5 miLLiOn BirTHs anD 4,700 maTernaL DeaTHs every year in UganDa.

A Ugandan woman’s lifetime risk of maternal death — the probability that a 15-year-old girl will eventually die from a maternal cause — is 49 times greater than that of a woman in the U.S.

In consultation with the Uganda Ministry of Health, Saving Mothers selected four contiguous districts in the Western Region: Kabarole, Kibaale, Kamwenge and Kyenjojo. These districts have a total population of 1.75 million people and an estimated 400,000 women of reproductive age. They were selected based on the strong leadership and commitment

of the local government, the availability of existing U.S. government platforms and linkages to a referral hospital.

Other selection factors included: limited human resource capacity of the district (particularly the vacancy rates of critical health personnel); the terrain and poor quality of the district’s transportation network; and little use of maternal and health services in the district (antenatal care, facility delivery and skilled birth attendance). The initiative directly supports the government’s Roadmap to Accelerate Reduction of Maternal and Neonatal Mortality and Morbidity.

MATERNAL HEALTH OUTCOMES IMPROVETHe maTernaL mOrTaLiTy raTiO DecreaseD

The maternal mortality ratio (MMR), or the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, is an indicator of risk associated with pregnancy and is a measure of a country’s progress towards Millennium Development Goal 5. In one year, the MMR fell by 30% in the four Saving Mothers districts in Uganda.

452MMR Reduction -30%316


Met need for EmONC services in EmONC facilities

Baylor College of Medicine >> The Baylor College of Medicine Children’s Foundation Uganda partners with Saving Mothers to provide pregnant women in Kabarole, Kamwenge and Kyenjojo districts with transportation vouchers and Mama Kits with basic supplies for childbirth. In addition, the College has helped train VHTs to collect community-level data on pregnancy and birth outcomes.

Makerere University Infectious Diseases Institute >> The Infectious Diseases Institute of Makerere University works to enhance the quality of care provided by Saving Mothers facilities in Kibaale district. Improving facility capacity, including

ensuring safe blood supplies and transfusion procedures, upgrading facility equipment and strengthening transportation and referral networks between facilities ensures that women receive high quality treatment at the right time. In addition, the Institute has helped train VHTs to collect community-level data on pregnancy and birth outcomes.

STRIDES for Family Health and Management Sciences for Health (MSH) >> STRIDES and MSH work closely with the Uganda Ministry of Health, local government and civil society organizations to increase contraceptive use and provide education for the healthy timing and spacing of

pregnancy (HTSP) in Saving Mothers districts. The project has supported pregnant women to access ultrasound scanning services through the STRIDES-Midas Touch transportation voucher system. STRIDES has also built the capacity of VHTs and health workers to provide family planning and maternal health services at community and facility levels.

Uganda Health Marketing Group (UHMG) >> Community mobilization is a key factor in the success of Saving Mothers. In Uganda, UHMG developed and implemented the “Prepare yourself, deliver at health facilities” multichannel campaign to help encourage more women to seek

health and delivery services in facilities. The campaign reached three out of every four women who gave birth in Saving Mothers facilities.

Program for Accessible Health, Communication and Education (PACE) >> MSD for Mothers has partnered with Population Services International and its local affiliate PACE to improve the ability of local private providers and health businesses to deliver affordable, high quality and equitable maternal healthcare to women living in the four Saving Mothers districts in Uganda .

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prOgress in caUse-specific maTernaL mOrTaLiTy

The reduction of direct obstetric causes of maternal deaths in Ugandan districts indicates an improvement in the provision of life-saving EmONC services.

-43%128 73Obstetric hemorrhage

Obstructed labor (including uterine rupture)

Eclampsia/Preeclampsia

Postpartum sepsis

Complications of unsafe abortion

Other direct causes

-54%71 33

-23%58 45

-50%33 17

-15%42 36

-37%49 31

a reDUcTiOn in THe OBsTeTric case faTaLiTy raTe in faciLiTies prOviDing emOnc

The Case Fatality Rate, or the proportion of women with direct obstetric complications who die before discharge, decreased by almost 20% over the first year in facilities providing EmONC. Quality improvements, including facility upgrades, health worker training and the availability of essential commodities contributed to this reduction.

Obstetric Case Fatality Rate in facilities providing EmONC 2.9% -18%2.4%

meT neeD fOr emOnc services

The proportion of all pregnant women having a direct obstetric complication requiring and receiving life-saving obstetric care (i.e., met need for EmONC) has increased.

39% +25%49%


a reDUcTiOn in perinaTaL mOrTaLiTy raTe in faciLiTies

Health workers in Saving Mothers facilities also received training to address childbirth-related complications affecting newborns (e.g., resuscitation to save babies who do not breathe at birth), and save newborn lives (e.g., essential newborn care, management of newborn sepsis). In these Ugandan facilities, the institutional perinatal mortality rate declined primarily through the reduction of intrapartum stillbirths.

q UGANDA MINISTRY OF HEALTH

District Health Officers (DHOs) lead the implementation of Saving Mothers programs in each district. In Kabarole, for example, Dr. Richard Mugahi coordinates a wide range of Saving Mothers interventions, including working with civil society and religious leaders to encourage more women to give birth in facilities. In partnership with local implementing partners, he manages the use of emergency vehicles, as well as transportation and communications networks to ensure women can access facilities. He also provides critical oversight for training and mentorship of skilled birth attendants. His work has helped improve confidence in the overall functioning of the health system, and ensure that more women are receiving quality maternal health and PMTCT services.

DHOs in all Saving Mothers districts lead similar efforts, which are integral to the successful implementation of the initiative. To learn more about the DHOs in all four districts, please visit www.savingmothersgivinglife.org

Dr. William Mucunguzi, Kyenjojo | Dr. richard Mugahi, Kabarole Ms. Winnie rurangaranga, Kamwenge | Dr. Dan Kyamanywa, Kibaale

Other Implementing Partners

> Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Uganda> Cardno Emerging Markets> Catholic Relief Services> EngenderHealth> IntraHealth International> Jhpiego> Marie Stopes International Uganda> Medical Access> Stop Malaria Project> Uganda Blood Transfusion Services> Uganda Episcopal Conference> Uganda Paediatric Association> Uganda Protestant Medical Bureau> Uganda Society of Anesthesiologists> University Research Co., LLC

39.3%Institutional Perinatal Mortality Rate (per 1,000 births)

-17%32.7%

an increase in cesarean secTiOn raTes reDUceD maTernaL anD perinaTaL DeaTHs

Access to Cesarean sections among all expected births is improving through increases in facility deliveries, timely referrals and availability of CEmONC. Its impact is reflected in substantial reductions in maternal mortality due to obstructed labor and uterine rupture, and perinatal mortality.

Cesarean section Rate 5.3% +23%6.5%

1 0 A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 3 S A V I N G M O T H E R S , G I V I N G L I F E

Saving Mothers implemented a range of activities to enhance the quality of care. From hiring, training and mentoring health workers, to strengthening the supply chain for essential medicines and other supplies, to ensuring facilities are equipped with the necessary equipment to carry out EmONC, more women are now accessing quality, life-saving care.

Deliveries in EmONC facilities (BEmONC and CEmONC)

Deliveries in lower level facilities (Health Centers II, III)

mOre WOmen are giving BirTH in HeaLTH faciLiTies

The chances of survival increase dramatically when a woman gives birth in a facility. Community mobilization, improved transportation and communications networks, and enhanced facility infrastructure have incentivized more women to give birth in facilities. There have been significant increases in the institutional delivery rate, or the proportion of births occurring in health facilities. The biggest increases are among lower level health facilities, allowing referral facilities to focus on treating complications and emergencies.

+62%46% 74%Deliveries in all facilities

+28%28% 36%

+118%17% 38%

maTernaL HeaLTH services aT HeaLTH cenTers: 24 HOUrs a Day, 7 Days a Week

Access to services 24/7 is vital to saving a woman’s life if a complication arises. Through Saving Mothers’ support, today almost all health centers provide services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, meeting this essential need for women and their newborns.

75%24/7 Services at Health Centers +24%93%

TranspOrTaTiOn, cOmmUnicaTiOns anD referraL neTWOrks

Transportation, communications and referral networks enhanced women’s access to essential health services. Three out of every four women who delivered in health facilities in three districts had transport covered by vouchers.

vHTs were trained to educate women and their families about the risks associated with giving birth at home. VHTs encouraged women to develop birth plans, attend antenatal care and give birth in a facility.

VHTs Trained4,076

mama kits, which contain essential supplies like plastic sheeting, razor blades, soap, gloves and other items, were distributed to help ensure a clean and safe childbirth.

Mama Kits Distributed15,655

6%Institutional deliveries supported by transport vouchers (3 districts)

+550%39%

Institutional deliveries supported by private care vouchers that also covered transportation (3 districts)

14% +157%36%

SERVICE DELIVERY ENHANCED

S A V I N G M O T H E R S , G I V I N G L I F E A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 3 1 1

The chances of survival for a woman and newborn greatly increase when giving birth in a facility, accompanied by a skilled birth attendant. Since Saving Mothers, Giving Life was launched in Uganda, the number of women giving birth in facilities in Saving Mothers districts has increased by 60%.

Mr. Togonzangane Steven, a VHT member working with Saving Mothers, registers a

pregnant woman. Health surveillance is a central part of the VHT role.

This increase is in large part due to the efforts of VHTs who work at the community level to educate women and their families about safe childbirth and encourage them to make birth plans. They also conduct community health surveillance to inform ongoing program activities and evaluation.

Togonzangane Steven is one of over 1,600 VHTs trained in Uganda’s western Kibaale District. He visits up to five households each day, often walking several kilometers when his motorbike runs out of fuel. “I collect data on pregnant mothers and hygiene and sanitation, and sensitize household members on health-related issues such as safe motherhood, malaria and HIV/AIDS.”

Mr. Steven has seen firsthand the impact of his work with Saving Mothers. “Mothers used to die without accessing care, but now they are able to access care and services.”

A Day in the Life of a Village Health Team memberemergency services increaseD

It is estimated that 15 percent of all pregnancies and childbirths will experience a serious complication. The health system must be prepared at all times to manage these complications. However, many women live far away from a facility, and if they can make it to a facility, that facility may not have adequate staff, supplies or infrastructure to manage complications. Saving Mothers prioritized increasing facilities’ capacity to provide life-saving emergency care.

Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn CareThe number of facilities that performed all seven signal functions that constitute BEmONC tripled.

3BEmONC facilities +200%9

Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn CareThere was a significant increase in the number of facilities that performed all nine signal functions that constitute CEmONC, including blood transfusions and deliveries by Cesarean section.

7CEmONC facilities +129%16

62%Services within two hours +24%77%

faciLiTy UpgraDes

Facility upgrades, including the ability to manage complications, increased women’s access to quality care. At baseline, 62% of women lived within two hours of a CEmONC facility; today 77% of women have access.


imprOveD HUman resOUrces1

Quality improvements resulted from hiring, training and mentoring hundreds of health workers, including doctors, nurses and midwives. The Columbia external evaluation found that in Uganda, these activities had a measurable effect on improving the quality of EmONC provided to women in relation to two comparison districts.

Twice as many providers in Saving Mothers districts received in-service obstetric training during the past year, compared with their counterparts in comparison districts. These providers performed modestly better in tests of obstetric knowledge, and there were positive differences in provider confidence than their counterparts in comparison districts. Finally, quality of care ratings among both providers and women were consistently higher in Saving Mothers districts than in comparison districts.

1. The Columbia evaluation selected two districts with similar health infrastructure, geography and

weather, use of health services and patterns in morbidity and mortality as comparisons to evaluate

Saving Mothers districts. These districts (Kiryandonga and Masindi) were non-contiguous and did

not have any large-scale maternal, newborn or child health program in the last three years.

Provider Confidence+38%

Women More Likely to Provide High Rating of Quality2.7x

Knowledge Test Scores+10.7%

famiLy pLanning services

Family planning is known to play an important role in reducing maternal mortality; expanding access to postpartum family planning services has been a focus of Saving Mothers. There has been a slight increase in the availability of long-acting methods at hospitals.

Hospitals that currently have at least one long-acting family planning method

63% +10%69%

The Columbia external evaluation found that women in Saving Mothers districts were more likely to report having received family planning services than in comparison districts.

More Women Report Receiving Family Planning Services4.7x

HIV prophylaxis for infants +27%1117 1415

PMTCT treatment +28%1262 1620

HEALTH SYSTEM STRENGTHENING

Doctors and Nurses Hired147

HIV and pregnancy-related complications are leading killers of women of childbearing age in sub-Saharan Africa. Saving Mothers has built on the U.S. Government’s PEPFAR platform in Uganda to increase the number of women and newborns tested and receiving life-saving antiretroviral therapy. The number of women who received prophylaxis or treatment for PMTCT of HIV/AIDS increased, as well as the number of infants who have received HIV prophylaxis.

HIV PREVENTION AND TREATMENT


imprOveD maTernaL DeaTH aUDiTs

Understanding the reasons for maternal and newborn deaths is vital to improving performance. With support from Saving Mothers, the Ugandan Ministry of Health institutionalized the practice of carrying out maternal death audits.

Hospitals conducting maternal death audits 31% +223%100%

56%All heath facilities that did not experience stockouts of oxytocin in the last 12 months

+46%82%

47%All heath facilities that did not experience stockouts of magnesium sulfate in the last 12 months

+32%62%

imprOveD access TO Life-saving cOmmODiTies anD sUppLies

A steady supply of essential medicines and commodities enables health workers to provide life-saving care. There were significant improvements in the stock of drugs like oxytocin and magnesium sulfate in Saving Mothers facilities, especially among lower level health centers.

Building on existing PEPFAR and maternal health platforms, Saving Mothers documented additional expenditures for strengthening district health services and systems to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality. These data provide information on the resources required to scale up Saving Mothers in other districts. In total, $10.5 million was expended over the initial 17 months for the four districts in Uganda. Expenditures in each district were based on the particular context and gaps determined at baseline and ranged from $0.826 to $4.16 million. The majority (79%) of expenditures went to improve service delivery and the remaining 21% was spent on system support. Expenditures included:

Service Delivery + Capital investments (29%) for construction and renovation, equipment

and furniture, emergency and other transportation, training and voucher scheme training

+ Recurring costs resulting from those investments (33%) for medical and program personnel, voucher reimbursements for medical care and transportation, non-medical consumables, medical supplies and drugs, and travel and transportation

+ Community mobilization and demand generation costs (17%) to promote health facility deliveries, including community worker training, travel and compensation, job aids, media development and community mobilization activities

Systems Support + Program support and supervision (12%)+ Monitoring and evaluation (8%)+ Other systems strengthening (1%)

Though not all anticipated investments were made during the pilot period, the documented investments were significant and resulted in increased demand for health services and improved health outcomes.

EXPENDITURE STUDY | Investments to Strengthen Districts for Reduced Maternal Mortality in Uganda

* These data provide information on expenditures over 17 months in Saving Mothers districts in Uganda. Capital investment expenditures are projected over five years.

+ UganDa Saving MotherS DirecT prOgram expenDiTUres*

33%

service Delivery

1%

29%

$10,505,255

17%

8%

12%

syste

ms support

•Investment Expenditures •Recurrent Expenditures •Community & Demand Generation

•Program Support & Supervision •Monitoring & Evaluation •Systems Strengthening


2012

TimeLine OF KEY ACTIVITIES

• Saving Mothers technical visit to Uganda to review progress to date and identify new challenges

• Pregnancy Outcomes Measurement (POM) study carried out in Uganda

The POM identified and tracked the health outcomes for every pregnant woman who received maternal care, including antenatal, delivery and postnatal services from a Saving Mothers facility

• Saving Mothers, Giving Life launched by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

• Introduction of tricycle ambulances in Kibaale District, Uganda

Modified motorcycle ambulances can more comfortably and safely transport women from their community to a health facility

JUn sep

aUg

• Expenditure study begins in Uganda and Zambia

The costing study aimed to document the expenditures required to strengthen maternity services in Saving Mothers districts, and identify the critical investments that increase access to quality safe delivery and EmONC services at health facilities

nOv

2013

• MSD for Ugandan Mothers (MUM) program launched

Population Services International, with its local affiliate, the Program for Accessible Health, Communication and Education, is implementing MSD for Ugandan Mothers, which will improve the quality of private maternal health care in 30 districts, including Saving Mothers districts

mar

mar

• Columbia University External evaluation interim report published

• Project C.U.R.E. joins the Saving Mothers, Giving Life partnership

• Saving Mothers, Giving Life highlighted at Center for Strategic and international Studies event in Washington, D.C.

Participants included: Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, and Christy Turlington Burns, founder of every Mother Counts and Saving Mothers, Giving Life founding partner


• Saving Mothers leadership and Uganda and Zambia partners convene in livingstone, Zambia to review interim results and identify best practices moving forward

• Verbal autopsy baseline data collection completed in Uganda and Zambia

• Columbia University External Evaluation Final report published

• Saving Mothers first year findings released

Annual Report 2013

MAKING PREGNANCY& CHILDBIRTH SAFERIN UGANDA & ZAMBIA

2013

apr

• Saving Mothers, Giving Life shares interim findings at Women Deliver Third Global Conference

• Health facility assessment endline data collected in Zambia

may

• Expenditure study completed in Uganda and Zambia Saving Mothers districts

aUg OcT

External Evaluation of

October 2013

Saving Mothers, Giving Life

FINAL REPORT

Jan

• Merck for Mothers Zambia program launched

Merck for Mothers Zambia program is working to develop new, sustainable models for maternity waiting homes at EmONC facilities

• Health facility assessment endline data collected in Uganda

• One year anniversary of Saving Mothers, Giving Life

JUn

2014


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+ Strengthened community mobilization efforts, led by Safe Motherhood Action Groups (SMAGs), helped to overcome longstanding, negative perceptions about childbirth in facilities. Trained by Peace Corps Volunteers, SMAGs promoted birth planning, including facility delivery, antenatal care, HIV testing and postpartum family planning. Community mobilization was a major factor in increasing demand for facility deliveries in all four Saving Mothers districts.

+ To overcome the significant geographic barriers within districts, Saving Mothers emphasized training and mentorship for health providers at lower level health facilities to provide EmONC and Helping Babies Breathe services.

+ Whereas all four Saving Mothers districts in Uganda are contiguous, the Zambian districts are non-contiguous and quite distant from one another, which sometimes made implementation more challenging and costly.

+ There was also significant investment in maternity waiting homes so that women who live far from emergency services or are at higher risk of experiencing complications during childbirth will not encounter delays in receiving the services that they need.

+ Finally, Saving Mothers partnered with the Department of Defense to renovate and upgrade one hospital and two health centers that also provide services to civilian women.

ZamBia RESULTS

kAlomo mAnsA nyimbA lUnDAZiKEY HIGHLIGHTS

ZAMBIA NATIONAL LEVEL INDICATORS

Maternal Mortality Ratio (2010) (per 100,000 live births)1 440

Deliveries taking place in a health facility (2007)2 48%

Births by Cesarean section (2005–2010)1 3%

Births attended by skilled health personnel (2005–2011)1 47%

Antenatal care coverage: at least four visits (2005–2011)1 60%

Pregnant women with HIV receiving antiretrovirals to prevent MTCT (2010)1 75%

Total Fertility Rate (2011)3 5.8

Contraceptive prevalence rate: modern method (1990/2012)4 27%

Sources: 1. World Health Statistics 2012 (WHO) | 2. Zambia Demographic and Health Survey 2007 (USAID) | 3. State of the World’s Midwifery 2011 (UNFPA) | 4. State of the World Population Report 2013 (UNFPA)

Maternal mortality fell sharply over the course of 12 months

in Saving Mothers facilities in Zambia. This reduction was

driven by women’s increased access to and receipt of

emergency obstetric care. In the pilot phase, the

proportion of expected deliveries taking place at facilities

in Saving Mothers districts increased from 63% to 84%.


THere are an esTimaTeD 600,000 BirTHs anD 2,600 maTernaL DeaTHs every year in ZamBia.

In Zambia, a woman’s lifetime risk of maternal death is 65 times greater than that of women in the U.S.

In consultation with the Zambia Ministry of Health, Saving Mothers selected four non-contiguous districts in three different provinces: Lundazi and Nyimba in Eastern Province, Kalomo in Southern Province, and Mansa in Luapula Province. The total population of these districts is about 900,000 people. The intervention districts were selected based on the strong district leadership and commitment of the local government,

In Zambia’s intervention districts, pregnancies

were tracked from the antenatal period through

labor, childbirth and postpartum at the facility-

level. The series of indicators below demonstrate

overall rapid improvements in facilities’ ability to

deliver quality maternal and newborn care after

one year of implementation.

MATERNAL HEALTH OUTCOMES IMPROVETHe insTiTUTiOnaL maTernaL mOrTaLiTy raTiO DecreaseD1

The institutional maternal mortality ratio (MMR), or the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in facilities, is an indicator of obstetric risk. In one year, the institutional MMR in Saving Mothers facilities in Zambia fell by 35%.

310Institutional MMR Reduction -35%202

1. To monitor the results of Saving Mothers, Zambia set up a new community-based system of Community Key Informants that was designed to track pregnancies. Given that the system only

identified about one-third of the expected number of pregnancies, there was not a sufficient number of maternal deaths to yield a stable estimate of the maternal mortality ratio, so results on deaths

identified by this system are not being used to estimate the MMR.

existing U.S. government platforms and demonstrated need for intensified maternal health programs.

Saving Mothers is helping to implement Zambia’s Maternal and Newborn Health Roadmap (2007–2014), and also supports advocacy efforts through the Campaign to Accelerate the Reduction of Maternal, Newborn and Child Mortality in Africa — Zambia (CARMMA-Z).


Center for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia >> The Center for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ) works in Lundazi and Nyimba districts in Eastern Province to strengthen transportation networks between communities and facilities. At the facility level, they are also conducting provider training in EmONC to enhance the quality of maternal care.

Boston University >> Boston University’s Center for Global Health and Development (CGHD), along with its partner Zambia Center for Applied Health Research and Development (ZCAHRD), works at the community level in Zambia’s Southern

Province to increase the number of women giving birth in facilities. They are also working with providers at the facility level to enhance the quality of antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care, as well as emergency services.

jhpiego >> With support from USAID’s Maternal and Child Health Integrated Program (MCHIP), Jhpiego provides onsite training and mentorship to maternal health providers. Teams of mentors conduct regular facility visits to enhance provider knowledge of EmONC, PMTCT and life-saving newborn resuscitation training, known as Helping Babies Breathe, in Kalomo, Lundazi, Mansa and Nyimba districts.

Zambian Defense Force Medical Services (ZDFMS) and Department of Defense (DOD) >> Through coordination of the ZDFMS, DOD and Ministry of Health, Luamfumu District, Mansa has secured an ambulance that women are able to use to access services. Also in Luamfumu, the partners have begun construction of a maternity block with a room designated as a waiting room. They also renovated three health facilities and provided supplies and equipment. These efforts have resulted in improved infrastructure, laboratory services and better equipped maternity wards.

Abt Associates and Zambia Integrated Systems Strengthening Program (ZISSP) >> Abt Associates and ZISSP are working closely with the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Community Development, Mother and Child Health to provide training for community-based SMAGs, who are increasing the demand for delivery services. Abt and ZISSP are also providing training for both BEmONC and CEmONC facilities across Saving Mothers districts in Zambia.

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prOgress in caUse-specific maTernaL mOrTaLiTy in faciLiTies

The reduction of some common, direct obstetric causes of maternal death in Zambian districts indicates an improvement in the provision of life-saving EmONC.

-34%110 72Obstetric hemorrhage

Obstructed labor (including uterine rupture)

Other direct causes

-78%59 13

-11%91 82

a reDUcTiOn in THe OBsTeTric case faTaLiTy raTe in faciLiTies prOviDing emOnc

The Case Fatality Rate, or the proportion of women with direct obstetric complications who die before discharge, decreased 35% over the project period in facilities providing EmONC. Quality improvements, including facility upgrades, health worker training and the availability of essential commodities contributed to this reduction.

3.4%Obstetric Case Fatality Rate in facilities providing EmONC -35%2.2%

meT neeD fOr emOnc services

The proportion of all pregnant women having a direct obstetric complication requiring and receiving life-saving obstetric care (i.e., met need for EmONC) has increased as a result of improving availability of and access to EmONC.

26%Met need for EmONC services in EmONC facilities +23%32%


q ZAMBIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND MINISTRY OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, MOTHER AND CHILD HEALTH

District Health Officers (DHOs) lead the implementation of Saving Mothers programs in each district. In Kalomo, for example, Dr. Kenneth Chibwe coordinates all implementing partner activities, including training SMAGs, managing the use of emergency vehicles and mentorship programs for skilled birth attendants in EmONC. He also oversees maternal death audits, which help identify areas for improvement across Saving Mothers interventions in Kalomo.

DHOs in all Saving Mothers districts lead similar efforts, which are integral to the successful implementation of the initiative. To learn more about the District Health Officers in all four districts, please visit www.savingmothersgivinglife.org

Dr. Kenneth Chibwe, Kalomo | Dr. Allan Chisenga, Lindazi Dr. Mutinta Mudenda, Mansa | Dr. jonathan Chama, Nyimba

Other Implementing Partners

> Africare

> Chemonics

> Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation

> Family Health International

> John Snow, Inc.

> Marie Stopes International

> Population Services International

> Project Concern International

> RTI International

> University of Zambia

> Zambian National Blood Transfusion Systems

a reDUcTiOn in perinaTaL mOrTaLiTy raTe in faciLiTies

In addition to a focus on enhancing maternal health services, health workers in Saving Mothers facilities also received training to address childbirth-related complications (e.g. resuscitation to save babies who do not breathe at birth), and save newborn lives (e.g. essential newborn care, management of newborn sepsis). In Zambia districts, the institutional perinatal mortality rate declined primarily through reducing the stillbirth rate.

37.9Institutional Perinatal Mortality Rate (per 1,000 births)

-14%32.8

an increase in cesarean secTiOn raTes reDUceD maTernaL anD perinaTaL DeaTHs

More facilities are now able to provide Cesarean sections, among other EmONC services, reducing the risk of death from obstructed labor and uterine rupture.

2.7%Cesarean section Rate +15%3.1%


Saving Mothers implemented a range of activities to enhance the quality of care. From hiring, training and mentoring health workers, to strengthening the supply chain for essential medicines and other supplies, to ensuring facilities are equipped with the necessary equipment to carry out EmONC, more women are now accessing quality, life-saving care.

SERVICE DELIVERY ENHANCED

2

+47%

mOre WOmen are giving BirTH in HeaLTH faciLiTies

The chances of survival increase dramatically when a woman gives birth in a facility. Community mobilization, improved transportation and communications networks and enhanced facility infrastructure have prompted more women to give birth in facilities. There have been significant increases in the institutional delivery rate, or the proportion of births occurring in health facilities. The biggest increases are among lower level health facilities, such as Health Centers, allowing referral facilities to focus on treating complications and emergencies.

Deliveries in EmONC facilities (BEmONC and CEmONC)

Deliveries in lower level facilities (Health Centers and Health Posts)

+35%63% 84%Deliveries in all facilities

+17%26% 30%

37% 54%

Based on exit interviews, women who gave birth in Saving Mothers facilities were more likely to be satisfied with the care they received, compared with women receiving care in non-intervention districts.1

More Satisfied with Care1.9x

peace corps volunteers trained SMAGs to educate women and their families about the risks associated with giving birth at home, and encouraged them to develop birth plans, attend antenatal care and give birth in a facility.

SMAGs Trained1,548

maTernaL HeaLTH services: 24 HOUrs a Day, 7 Days a Week

Saving Mothers has improved women’s timely access to a health facility leading up to and during childbirth. Today, almost all health centers offer services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

65%24/7 Services +44%93%

mama packs, which contain essential supplies like plastic sheeting, razor blades, soap, gloves and other items, were distributed to help ensure a clean and safe childbirth.

Mama Packs Distributed2,027



Saving Mothers districts. These districts (Kabwe and Kapip Mposhi) were non-contiguous and did



HIV prophylaxis for infants

More than 80% of maternal deaths stem from manageable complications, making access to EmONC crucial to survival. But many health workers in developing countries lack the necessary equipment, skills and experience. Thanks to Saving Mothers, this reality is changing in Lundazi District, Zambia, and Esther Kabaye has the story to prove it.

Esther Kabaye (R), a nurse working in Lundazi district, with her colleague Nurse Kapandula (L). Saving Mothers’ mentorship programs are enabling more health workers to provide life-saving EmONC to women experiencing complications.

Until recently, Ms. Kabaye, a nurse, was the only clinician at the Matanda Rural Health Center (RHC), a remote facility in this eastern Zambian district. Located 60 kilometers from the nearest hospital, many women are treated at Matanda RHC if complications arise during pregnancy or childbirth. That’s what makes Ms. Kabaye’s job particularly critical, and why Saving Mothers initiated a mentorship program in EmONC functions for health workers. After meeting with district mentors over several months, Ms. Kabaye began to feel confident in her ability to handle complicated childbirths, which served her well when a laboring woman named Helen arrived at Matanda last June.

Despite presenting in normal labor, Helen began to bleed immediately after delivery. Having been trained and mentored on how to manage postpartum hemorrhage, Ms. Kabaye was fast to act. She quickly performed bi-manual compression of the uterus, effectively stopping the bleeding and saving Helen’s life. When asked about this experience, Ms. Kabaye beamed with pride as she recounted her Saving Mothers mentorship, commenting, “With the support that [they] have given me, I am so happy to be able to effectively handle emergencies and save lives which would have been lost.”

emergency services increaseD

Saving Mothers prioritized facilities’ capacity to provide life-saving emergency care, so that more women who experience complications are able to receive these services within two hours.

Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn CareThe number of facilities that performed all seven signal functions that constitute BEmONC doubled.

3BEmONC facilities +100%6

Mentorship programs enhancing emergency services in Lundazi district

+18%

+29%

930PMTCT treatment 1095

523 674

Building on the U.S. Government’s PEPFAR platform, Saving Mothers has increased the number of women who received prophylaxis or treatment for PMTCT of HIV/AIDS, as well as the number of infants who received HIV prophylaxis.

Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn CareThe number of facilities that performed all nine signal functions that constitute CEmONC, including blood transfusions and Cesarean sections, increased.

4CEmONC facilities +25%5

Hospitals that currently have at least one long-acting family planning method

50% +50%75%

famiLy pLanning services

Across districts, there has been a significant increase in the availability of long-acting methods at hospitals.

HIV PREVENTION AND TREATMENT


HEALTH SYSTEM STRENGTHENING



Saving Mothers districts. These districts (Kabwe and Kapip Mposhi) were non-contiguous and did


imprOveD HUman resOUrces1

Saving Mothers helped the government to hire 19 healthcare workers and train and mentor hundreds of others, including doctors, nurses and midwives. The evaluation found that in Zambia, these activities had a measurable effect on improving the quality of obstetric care provided to women.

Almost 200 health providers were trained in EmONC, while 188 were trained in Helping Babies Breathe, a neonatal resuscitation curriculum. Over 300 providers were trained to provide in-service mentorship skills. Saving Mothers providers performed modestly better in tests of obstetric knowledge than providers in comparison districts.

78%All heath facilities that did not experience stockouts of oxytocin in the last 12 months

+26%98%

22%All heath facilities that did not experience stockouts of magnesium sulfate in the last 12 months

+295%87%

imprOveD access TO Life-saving cOmmODiTies anD sUppLies

Saving Mothers strengthened the supply chain for essential commodities like oxytocin and magnesium sulfate. Lower level health facilities, such as Health Centers and Health Posts, experienced fewer shortages.

imprOveD maTernaL DeaTH aUDiTs

Understanding the reasons for maternal and newborn deaths is vital to improving performance. With support from Saving Mothers, the Zambian Government institutionalized the practice of carrying out maternal death audits. In addition, electronic record keeping systems, such as SmartCare, improved monitoring of health outcomes across districts.

Hospitals conducting maternal death audits 50% +100%100%

Mentors Trained302

Better Score on Knowledge Tests+13.5%

Providers Trained199

Helping Babies Breathe Providers Trained188


Saving Mothers is supporting health centers to help women develop birth plans, increasing the likelihood of a safe facility delivery. During the first antenatal care visit, health facility staff distribute large posters that read DANGER SIGNS at the top. Diagrams on this page illustrate various conditions that could occur before, during and after delivery that require medical attention.

Thousands of couples in Kalomo District have learned about birth planning from staff at Saving Mothers facilities. The birth plan has become a central part of efforts to educate pregnant women and their partners. And, it has helped contribute to a 35% increase in facility deliveries across Saving Mothers districts in Zambia.

Antenatal Care Promoting Birth Preparedness in Kalomo District

Building on existing PEPFAR and maternal health platforms, Saving Mothers documented additional expenditures for strengthening district health services and systems to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality. These data provide information on the resources required to scale-up Saving Mothers in other districts. In total, $8.14 million was expended over the initial 20 months for the four districts in Zambia. Expenditures in each district were based on the particular context and gaps determined at baseline and ranged from $0.88 million to $2.29 million per district. Approximately half (56%) of the expenditures were used to improve service delivery and the 44% was spent on system support. Expenditures included:

Service Delivery + Capital investments (36%) training, construction and renovation,

equipment and furniture, and emergency transportation

+ Recurring costs resulting from capital investments (12%), consisting of medical supplies/drugs and medical/program personnel

+ Community mobilization and demand generation costs (8%) to promote health facility deliveries, including community worker training, travel and compensation, job aids, media development and community mobilization activities

Systems Support + Program support and supervision (26%)+ Monitoring and evaluation (2%)

+ SmartCare electronic medical records system (8%)+ Other systems strengthening (8%)

Though not all anticipated investments were made during the pilot period, the documented investments were significant and resulted in increased demand for health services and improved health outcomes.

EXPENDITURE STUDY | Investments to Strengthen Districts for Reduced Maternal Mortality in Zambia

* These data provide information on expenditures over 20 months in Saving Mothers districts in Zambia. Capital investment expenditures are projected over five years.

+ ZamBia Saving MotherS DirecT prOgram expenDiTUres*

12%

service Delivery

36%

26%

8%

2%

•Investment Expenditures •Recurrent Expenditures

•Community & Demand Generation •Program Support & Supervision

•Monitoring & Evaluation •SmartCare •Systems Strengthening

A chart illustrating the danger signs of pregnancy. Saving Mothers, Giving Life is supporting facility staff to work with women to identify these danger signs, and develop plans to ensure safe childbirth in a facility.

8%

8%

syste

ms support

$8,144,510


saving mOTHers, giving Life LOOKS AHEAD

“We were in a sleep; now we have awakened.”– George Phiri, District Commissioner, Nyimba, Zambia, when asked about political awareness of maternal and newborn deaths

+ We are encouraged by the impact and results that Saving

Mothers achieved during its first year. The evidence in this report strongly indicates that an integrated, district health strengthening model is saving lives. Enhancing health systems has helped women to have a better chance of surviving the unpredictable complications of pregnancy and childbirth.

+ Assessments also reveal that our work is far from over; many pressing obstacles remain, including stockouts of essential commodities, inadequate equipment and supplies, and human resource shortages. In some places, infrastructure (electricity, water, communication) is still lacking and transportation difficulties remain. The initiative is looking for effective, lasting solutions for all of these challenges.

+ Saving Mothers’ evaluators will continue to analyze the data to help the initiative’s leadership make the best possible choices regarding its future. By identifying and expanding the interventions with the greatest promise of reaching scale, we will be able to save the lives of even more women.

+ Saving Mothers remains committed to a five-year lifespan, and continues to investigate where and how to support host country governments expand to new districts in their countries, as well as to additional sub-Saharan African countries.

www.savingmothersgivinglife.org

Saving Mothers, Giving Life is a public-private partnership between the U.S. Government, the Government of Norway, Merck for Mothers, Every Mother Counts, Project C.U.R.E. and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, committed to saving women’s lives from complications of pregnancy and childbirth.

Learn more about Saving Mothers, Giving Life, including results from year one, at www.SAVINGMOTHERSGIVINGLIfE.ORG/ANNUALREPORT.

Supplementary evaluation materials are available from the CDC, USAID and Futures Group and Columbia University.

cDc evaluations

+ Saving Mothers Giving Life Monitoring and Evaluation Report: Executive Summary

+ Monitoring and Evaluation Overview+ Maternal Mortality+ Obstetric Care Services: Access and

Availability+ Maternal and Perinatal Health Outcomes

UsaiD and futures group

+ Findings of Expenditure Studies in Zambia and Uganda for The Saving Mothers Giving Life partnership: Executive Summary

columbia University

+ Columbia University External Evaluation Interim and Final Reports

Making Pregnancy & Childbirth Safer in Uganda & Zambia ... · 02 GLOBAL PARTNERS 04 ROAD TO SAFE...

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